Dial Tone
by AnimeDutchess
Summary: Oneshot, super-mild Palletshipping I'm too tired to make it rauncy . I always seem to be waiting for you to call. Funny that the most important call of all is one that comes unexpectedly.


_**Dial Tone**_

By AnimeDutchess

A/N: Whoo…haven't posted anything since November, huh? I'm sorry about that. I haven't gotten any good ideas, and I was busy with finals and holidays…I'm still on break, actually, and I don't have to go back until the 25th! Hey, at least you got something from me, right?

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Disclaimer: …No, I don't own Pokemon.

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This is dedicated to Wonny, who's going through a tough patch right now…oi, I hope things get a whole lot better, and I wish there was something more I could do to help.

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I promised I'd wait for you.

When we were small, you promised to call me on the phone the next day, so we could plan out all the "super-duper-fun-things" (hey, you said it) we would do if we could convince our parents to let us have a sleepover. I remember waking up that day and heading straight for the phone, pushing my little stepping stool right next to it and waiting…waiting all day for you to call.

I _had_ promised to wait, remember?

But you never did call, and I didn't know why until the phone rang, and someone on the other end told my Mom that your parents had died last night, got into an accident of some kind. I saw you the next day, wearing all black, crying. I was wearing all black, too, and I started to cry when I finally realized that those funny sounds coming from you weren't hiccups.

At that point, I never thought you could cry like the rest of us.

As time went on, you stopped knocking at the door, asking for me. You stopped ringing the doorbell in the morning, telling my Mom that you wanted to walk to school with me. Eventually, you stopped calling my number on the telephone. Any action you made towards me was harsh, as if you decided to shun me from your life. No matter how hard I tried to get you to be warm towards me again, you'd just give me the cold shoulder.

And I hadn't known exactly why. I don't think I ever will.

At first, it had hurt, like someone had taken a white-hot poker and impaled me right through the heart. It took a couple years for me to learn to avoid you, to bite back with my own retorts, but they never seemed to faze you. It seemed as if we had already gone our separate ways, even though we hadn't even left town.

But in these past few years, I suppose you've…changed again, and for the better. To make a long story short, I can gladly call you a friend again, and not have you give me a death glare for it.

…Heck, you can't do much about it, anyway. We have totally different schedules, and we're always on the move…I get lucky to see you for one day out of a couple months, and that saddens me. I miss you…

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It was about two-thirty in the morning, and for the life of me, I wasn't sure why I couldn't sleep. Maybe it had something to do with all the chocolate pudding Mom had given me for dessert; mass amounts of sugar can keep anyone awake. I came down into the living room, the house dark and quiet. My mother and friends were all asleep upstairs, so I was trying my best to be quiet. I knew that if they all woke up because of me, I'd have hell to pay.

Kinda wish I didn't have to use that phrase in context with the people I care about.

I soon got bored with sitting in the living room, alone and in the dark, so I did the next best thing…I went and sat at the kitchen table, alone and in the dark. At least there I had a view of the outside. Now, I'm not a poet or anything, but that didn't stop me from thinking about how interesting the world looks without a lot of light.

I don't think a lot of time passed before I heard the telephone ring. I jumped in my seat and stared at phone, its video screen flashing a number that I had never seen before. I figured that if I didn't answer it, the others would awaken, so I did what I deemed to be a smart thing.

I answered the phone. "Hello?"

Kids, even though I picked up the phone when a strange number called, don't you go and do it, too.

The video screen took a few seconds to come to life, but the voice right away told me who it was.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to pick up. Were you waiting by the phone for my call?"

"…" I blushed a little. "How would I know that you were calling, anyway? And why're you calling so late at night?"

"Huh? Late? Isn't it…" I saw him pause for a few seconds before slapping his forehead. "Oh, _duh_. Time difference. No wonder it's so dark over there."

"And people say _I'm_ the dumb one." I smirked at him. He smirked back.

"That's a good one, Ashy. Have you been practicing?"

"Yeah, sure, Gary…" No, I hadn't, but he knew. "So, why did you call? Do you normally call my house at strange times?" I watched him shake his head.

"Nah…I heard from my Gramps, who was told by your Mom that you were in town. Since I wasn't there to greet you myself, I figured a phone call would be good…" He then sweat-dropped. "But I forgot about time-zones, obviously. I was just…anxious to call, I guess."

That was a new one. "Huh? How come?"

"Well, you're always moving around to some new place…I am, too, but not nearly as often as you. I guess I…wanted the chance to talk to you a bit. Play catch-up, and all."

This stumped me; he'd never been interested in making small-talk before. I decided to humor him.

"Alright…so, how are you, then?"

"I'm good…kinda busy on a new project that involves some bones that were found at a construction site." He held one up to the monitor; they certainly looked old, but the look on his face was that of pure boyish wonder. "We can't match them to any fossil records in the database! Can you imagine what this means?"

"Eh…sorta…" I'd never been into the whole science deal, but I smiled and tried to look excited for him, anyway. After all, this was the type of stuff he was into now. Interests change when people get older…well, that's what older people say.

"And you? How's your journey going?" I brightened up at his question, and started to ramble about how far I'd gotten, all the things I had seen, how my next challenge was now just around the corner and I was resting at home for a bit…

It went on for a good half-hour before I realized I was rambling. "Wagh! I'm sorry, Gary…I guess I got revved-up and all…oops…" He laughed at this.

"Oh, no, I don't mind at all. It's nice to hear about travels from the traveler's mouth." He paused. "Oh God, did I really just say something that corny? Ugh." I laughed a little at this. "Still, it'd be nice if we could actually talk in person, you know? When was the last time we met up?"

"…Huh." I scrunched up my face in thought. "Quite a while, I think. And yeah, it would be nice to hang out again. Maybe we should plan something."

He seemed to be thinking, too, for he was tapping his lower lip with his finger.

"Well, I did have this one idea…I think we could make it so we could see a lot more of each other."

"Wow, really? How?" I started to get excited, and he could tell.

"Take it easy," He said, smiling, "I just need you to stay in town for…Hn…" He turned away for a moment, focusing on something that was outside the range of the video. I raised an eyebrow questioningly, waiting. "…About a week. Yes, stay in town for a week, and you'll see what I mean."

"But can't you just explain it to me no-"

_CLICK_

The video went blank, and that annoying thing called a dial tone started up, blaring into my ear. I still stared in shock at the screen, and to be quite honest, I felt betrayed. He'd proposed something great ad never filled me in.

_Maybe I should just…I dunno…forget it. I'm not going to see him for another year, let alone a week._

I was wrong, though. You came back. You came back, and now I don't go a day without seeing you…we travel together. And to think, in desperation, I had thought that all would end on a dial tone.

_**Fin**_

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A/N: No, I'm not sure what that was, but I knew I had to write something. It came out…kinda below par, but not bad. Please give me criticism, yo. Ja Ne! - AnimeDutchess


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